Eating with Crohn's/Colitis

[sidney88]

Hey everyone, I've read a couple books about eating with IBD/Crohns but there are a few items that I am used to eating that I have questions about. Please let me know what you think about these things:

1) Triscuits (I assume bad because of whole grains)
2) Doritos (was thinking maybe ok if I chew well)
3) Potato chips in general
4) Soda ( I normally drink clear soda like diet Mountain Dew if that matters)
5) Salty foods in general
6) Pizza (assuming not an excessive amount of cheese)
7) Ice cream (sounds like low-fat or even sherbert is best)
8) Steak (sounds like once a month if that...and stick to low fat cuts)
9) Orange juice with lots of Pulp (two books gave me opposite opinions on this)
10) Barilla Plus pasta
11) Lean ground turkey/lean ground beef (93/7)
12) Granola bars (assume bad because of uncooked whole grains)
13) Submarine Subs...in general (assuming white bread, turkey/chicken, no tomatoes, onions, peppers Heck I guess it would just be meat, oil/vinegar, cheese, maybe lettuce, pickles?. Uggh)
13a) Subway, assuming the same.
14) Brown rice (I've read this is ok/good, but don't understand why it wouldn't irritate like other whole grains)
15) Whole wheat pasta (like the stuff that comes in Lean Cuisines) eg: http://www.leancuisine.com/Products/Details.aspx?ProductID=10728
16) Quaker Instant Oatmeal - I know Oatmeal is good, but what about the stuff that comes in the packets? I don't care about the sugar as long as it doesn't mess with my Crohns/Colitis
17) raw carrots (i assume id have to chew them well)
18) the occasional McDonalds cheeseburger (single, 89 cent or whatever. not a big mac). Guess I'd do no onions from now on...
19) Marinara sauce (think it's ok if I take it easy on garlic/herbs, which is no fun)

This is by no means my entire diet, just items I am not sure about.


Oh and is it best to limit fluid intake before, during and after meals?


Thanks for your help!

 

[sidney88]

oops just noticed there is a forum for Diet. Can somebody move this thread there?

 

[D Bergy]

Refined or excess natural sugar is never good for anyone but can only do harm to anyone with Crohn's.

Dairy is usually not well tolerated, and there is also the hypothesis that milk contains the bacteria that causes symptoms. I do not do well with Milk and no longer use it. Cheese does not bother me, which I find weird.

White bread is basically refined flour and is not considered healthy because it converts to sugar so quickly. It also is made from wheat which can be a problem for quite a few people. I actually would opt for the Triscuits if they do not bother you, over a more refined grain but it is still wheat. I can eat whole grain without a problem, but it depends on the condition of your intestines. I avoid whole wheat bread because my daughter have Celiac Disease and I suspect I have a lesser form of it. I would opt for multigrain breads.

I eat Doritos occasionally and have no problem with it, but they really do not have much food value. Since we have bad absorption anyway it is best to make what you eat count for something. On the other hand, we can't be angels all of the time.

Pizza is OK if it does not bother you. Tomatoes, Cheese (Dairy), Crust (Wheat), are all things that could bother anyone with Crohn's. They do not have any effect on me but everyone is different.

Raw Carrot and other vegetable are good for you if you do not have a problem with them. I eat a lot of raw carrots. I generally hate vegetables, so I eat a lot of the ones I like.

Onions are poison to me, but not everyone. I can tolerate a little cooked in food but I try not to eat them at all. Just make sure your body is not reacting to them by trial and error.

So basically anything you can tolerate is fine for you. We all have problems with different foods, so it is hard to know what any given person can eat.

In general I would avoid wheat, alcohol, sugar, milk and refined foods unless that is all you can eat. In general the less you process or fool around with food the better it is for you. Of course raw food is not an option if too much damage is already done.

I personally think the old fashioned Oat Meal is one of the best foods for the guts there is. I have nothing scientific to back that up, but I always feel good with a big slug of Oat Meal in me.

Dan

 

[pb4]

The majority of your list is processed foods...processed foods/beverages, fast foods, caffeine, animal fats, refined sugar, sugar substitutes/artificial sweetners (especially sugar alcohols, anything ending in "tol") can all exacerbate symptoms.

 

[kello82]

hey there
like dan said, we all have problems with different foods. so theres not really any RULES of eating with crohns. its kindof something you have to learn about yourself just by experimenting i guess to find the foods that trigger you.

in general, i think whole foods are best. fresh fruits/vegs, fresh meats poulty etc, rather than the convenience foods. but on the other hand if your flaring and have D or C problems then the fresh produce and meats may be harder to digest than say, a bowl of instant mashed potatoes. the foods that are good for a human body trying to heal are not necessarily whats good for a very sick gut.

 

[AIjen]

I'm confused on foods as well. As far as I can tell, nothing bothers me. I even eat a salad about 4-5 times per week. Most people here can't tolerate lettuce. I like raw carrots, but I seem to get heartburn when I eat them, but if they're on a salad, they're fine. It's a mystery to me. )

 

[teeny5]

I do ok with chips and fries as long as I am not in a really bad flare...but then I go to an almost liquid diet. Anything really high fiber doesn't do well with me so I have to limit it. Like I could have maybe a small salad here and there, but not everyday for sure. High fiber/multigrain bread doesn't go over well. The high fiber pastas also will give me really bad gas pains. I stick to the white pasta. Any kind of rice doesn't seem to bother me. I can eat pizza no problem with pretty much any toppings. Beef is the worst for me. Even ground up it still is too hard for me to digest. Oatmeal and Cream of Wheat are both fine for me. I haven't tried a granola bar...seems like it would hurt. Sorbet is better since it doesn't have milk in it. I don't have any issues with cheese or marinara sauces, or alfredo sauces. I don't drink soda anymore, sometimes the bubbles seem to upset my tummy...don't know why. I think salty foods aren't really good for anyone, but for Crohn's I think it is because it can dehydrate you and if you have diarrhea you are already dehydrated. Too much sugar gives me pains as well. Not too sure about the liquids while eating thing, except that when you drink and eat you might take in too much air and that leads to gas. I drink orange juice with less pulp, but the regular doesn't bug me, just a preference. I can eat anything that is pork, chicken, turkey or fish...as long as it isn't all greasy.

All in all you will have to see what works for you. I wish I had a better answer, but foods affect us all differently.

 

[jennyfoust]

I have noticed that there are things that I can not tolerate a tiny bit of, like coffee or broccoli, that other people can have every day. I can have beans, which I was told not to have, and I was under the impression that they caused terrible gas.

I think trial and error is your best bet. Just listen to your body. You will get it worked out.

I eat pizza quite a bit, because it doesn't bother me at all. Though, I can't have more than one bite of ice cream or I will be sick for a couple days. With dairy, the problem is lactose. There is less lactose in cheese than in milk or ice cream, because of the aging process of cheese. Also, sharper cheeses are aged longer, and contain less lactose than mild cheese. I just love that i can have cheddar cheese, or swiss. I love cheese. I don't mind giving up the other stuff.


Good luck.

 

[theone]

While trying to eat better I have become a little obsessed with food. I have found lists like this one to help me.

http://www.metabolismadvice.com/anti_inflammatory_food/

I try to avoid foods on lists like this one.

http://www.oprah.com/article/health/nutrition/life_inflammatory

Eating and not eating certain foods is very difficult and takes a lot of will power.

Everyone is different and you need to figure out what works and doesn't work for you.

good luck

 

[Jeff D.]

I moved the thread to here for you.

If you have colitis then it would probably be best if you ate a low residue diet which consists of a very low fiber diet. If you have colitis then the bulking of stool could cause more inflammation. Good luck

 

[daisy_dueller]

I just wanted to say that Mountain Dew has more caffeine in it than any other pop out there...for me, caffeine is a killer...just something to ponder.

 

[BWS1982]

caffeine is a natural diuretic and like all diuretics, it leeches water stored in your body, and its exit strategy often ends up being a persons poop chute (that sounds dirty doesn't it?)

 

[daisy_dueller]

I heart the term 'poop chute'....that's what my mom has called it since I was a kid.